An entertainment blog that was started in 2006, ignored from 2009 to 2011 due to work commitments & the advent of social media. Is back on line as of Jan. 22, 2012.

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Nobody goes to the movies anymore, they're just too crowded

So J-Mac and I continue our adventure in Montreal. Friday meant breakfast at Beauty's (thanks to Maverick and Manimal for the recommendation), golf at Metropolitan and dinner at Ben's Deli.

Not really in the mood for a free jazz show tonight, we still have our Dave Brubeck show on Saturday night. Since there is a movie theatre near by us, we decide to go to a late showing of The Da Vinci Code.

Top 5 reasons I hate going to the movies1. Too many ads, promos and trailers before the movie. We went to a 10:30 showing of Da Vinci Code that actually did not start till 11 and only included three trailers.2. People talking behind you in the theatres3. People taking cell phone calls in the theatre4. People showing up late and standing around blocking your view of the film as they check to see (in suprise) that the seats three quarters of the way up and in the very middle are actually taken by someone else who showed up early!!!!5. The price of food and drinks and the fact that all drinks are in tub size which means if you drink it all you will have to go the bathroom midway through the movie.

So my thoughts on the Da Vinci Code is that it was the book on film. Nothing less, nothing more. Tom Hanks was fine as Robert Langdon, exactly what you'd expect. I still don't think Audrey Toutou from Amalie was right as Sophie Neveu...but she is not hard to look at so I am able to let it go.

Since the movie is just the book on film, there is a middle half hour that is just deadly boring. Works in the book, but on film, it is just a bunch of smart people talking. That and the combination of the movie not starting until 11 pm, the late night the previous night and the physical exhaustion of golfing earlier meant that I slept through a lot of the second half of the film.

Da Vinci Code, like all other films, I am just going to wait to see on video. Going to the theatre just isn't worth it. And who do you complain to? The Manager of the theatre? Hollywood in general? Nothing is going to change. Theatres need people to go...specifically males 18-34...so they will put up with anything from inconsiderate patrons, take money from advertisers for endless commercials before the movie all in the name of being able to put big budget films like Mission Impossible 3, the new Pirates of the Carribean etc etc in 6 different screens meanwhile great independant films will become impossible to see in the theatre. So it is a conspiracy not quite at the level of the Da Vinci Code between advertisers, Hollywood, 18-34 year old male and movie theatres. So fine, screw you all, I will be at the video store.